Title of APA Paper

Student First Name and Last Name
College/University Name
Course Number and Name
Instructor Name
Assignment Due Date (Month Day, Year)

Abstract
The abstract is a non-indented, brief paragraph that summarizes the key points of your study, experiment, or research. It always has its own designated page that is titled Abstract, centered and bold, and is about 120-250 words in length. It should never exceed one page. The purpose of the paper is stated here (the thesis), along with any hypotheses or experimental information necessary to understand the paper from the beginning. The findings/conclusions should also be stated here. Some college professors require an introduction instead of an abstract. Be sure to check with the instructor regarding their preference for the title, content, and format of this section.

Title of APA Paper
	This sample paper demonstrates the formal elements required by the American Psychological Association (APA) according to its 7th edition. The 2019 APA style guidelines have been revised to provide more extensive guidelines and formatting changes for online sources, to use inclusive and non-biased language in research writing, and to reflect changes in new technologies students and researchers use. This format typically applies to writing in social and behavioral sciences, including psychology and sociology, as well as nursing and business disciplines. Check with the professor to determine if this is the right style and edition for the assignment.
Formatting
	As demonstrated in this paper, the title page, abstract page, body pages, and reference page are needed. Every page will have a page number which is right justified. Three or four lines down from the top of the page and centered will be the complete title of your paper in bold. There is no limit to the number of words for the title, but it is recommended to be precise and concise with phrasing. The title should be a summary of your paper. Under the title will be your full name (first and last), the name of your educational institution, your course number and name, your instructor’s full name, and the assignment due date (formatting month day, year). This information will not be bold. The following page will be the abstract. After the abstract page, the paper will begin, with the title of your paper in bold centered at the top of the page (no need to say “Introduction” unless required by the instructor). When beginning the paragraphs, indent each new paragraph using the TAB key (an automatic indent of seven spaces). Notice the text is double-spaced, the page has one-inch margins all around, and no extra blank lines are included between the paragraphs. APA includes several options for font and sizing. For sans serif fonts, APA recommends 11-pt. Calibri, 11-pt. Arial, or 10-pt. Lucida Sans Unicode. For serif fonts, APA recommends 12-pt. Times New Roman or 11-pt. Georgia. Most instructors prefer 12-pt. Times New Roman, so check the instructor requirements. 
Page Numbers
	Using Word to insert page numbers, look for the “Insert” tab in the toolbar, chose “Page Number,” then “Top of Page,” and select “Plain Number 3.” A page number will appear in the right-hand top corner of every page on your paper. 
Heading Levels
	This sample paper is divided into sections, which APA refers to as either “levels” or “headings.” APA’s levels allow the discussion to be broken down into manageable parts. Unlike in MLA or Chicago, you are not required to maintain coherency throughout your paper, nor are transitional sentences between ideas as important. Levels are divided by topic, with up to five levels of headings. First level heading is centered, bold, and formatted like a title. Second level heading, which is a sub heading for the first level, is left-adjusted, bold, and formatted like a title. Student papers will primarily use first and possibly second level heading. For more guidelines and examples of additional heading levels, refer to OWL Purdue Online Writing Lab “APA Headings and Seriation” section or the APA Style website “Headings” section.
Citations and Documentation
	In-text citations work differently than in MLA or Chicago. APA formatting uses an author-date format, where the author’s last name and publication date are present in either parenthetical in-text citations or narrative format. Parenthetical in-text citations are when the citation information is in parentheses either at the end of the sentence or where the cited information ends in the sentence. Narrative in-text citations are when the author is named in the body of the sentence, followed by the publication year in parentheses. In-text citations should be included when quotations, paraphrases, or summaries have been included in the paper. It is necessary to document the source of the material whether using direct quotations or paraphrasing in order to avoid plagiarism. For works with two authors, list both their names in every in-text citation. For three or more authors, include the first author’s last name followed by “et al.” in every in-text citation. Here is an example of a narrative in-text citation: Clark (2008) suggests the number of students who admit to cheating, which had reached about 50 percent in 2002, has decreased (p. 74).  Here is an example of a parenthetical in-text citation: The number of students who admit to cheating, which had reached about 50 percent in 2002, has decreased (Clark, 2008, p. 74).
Direct Quotations
	When using direct quotations to convey the author’s exact words, it is necessary to provide the author’s name, the source’s year of publication, and the page number of the quote. A direct quote can be introduced in several ways. First, a narrative citation format can be used. An example of this follows: Seedat and Lazarus (2011) state that they “draw on various sources, including undocumented small histories of organized groups and individuals” (p. 241). Notice that the quote has an introduction with the source name, the end punctuation follows the parenthesis, and there are commas in between the author name, the date, and the page number. Second, a parenthetical in-text citation format can be used: The researchers involved “draw on various sources, including undocumented small histories of organized groups and individuals” (Seedat and Lazarus, 2011, p. 241). Notice that the page number is preceded by “p.” If the source is an online source without page numbers (like a webpage), APA recommends to either include specific locator information like a section heading in the source or a paragraph number. Here is an example: Bratek (2012) refers to a Duquesne University study on plagiarism that “pointed to online tools that make copying each other’s work easier” (para. 3).
Block Quotes
	Some direct quotations are too large to insert into body paragraphs and must be off-set with special formatting. APA requires that all quotations over 40 words be blocked. As with shorter quotes, a block quote may be introduced with a narrative in-text citation or not, but either way follow the same format as detailed in the direct quotations section above to include all the relevant information (author’s name, publication year, page number). The entire block quote should maintain double spacing and be indented one half inch from the left margin, one TAB (this can be accomplished by highlighting the entire quote and then tapping the TAB key once). There will be no quotation marks used for the block quotation. When signaling block quotations, be sure to use a colon to indicate such:
Someone once suggested that a quotation is like a dinner guest; you would never think of inviting a guest over and then not introducing him or her to everyone else. In the same way, you should never just drop a quotation into your paper without a proper introduction. Dropping a quotation into an essay without introducing it is generally abrupt and doesn’t provide enough transition between your ideas and those of the author you are citing. (Green and Lawlor, 2014, p. 131)
Resume normal margins once returning to the paragraph, but do not indent the first line when you return to the paragraph, as it will seem like a new paragraph. Notice that the in-text citation comes after the period in the block quote and is not followed by a period. Additional text should follow the blocked quotation, so the quotation is not floating within or between body paragraphs. Including explanation after the block quote will ensure understanding of the quotation. Remember, all in-text citations, paraphrasing, or direct quotations need to have a corresponding source on the references page.
Language
APA is unique from the other writing styles not only because of its formatting but also because of its language requirements. Although all academic papers contain specific standards as to what sort of language to use, the APA Style website features detailed guidelines for grammar and word usage that should be consulted before beginning a paper. The most important consideration is to keep an objective, neutral tone throughout the paper, and to avoid flowery diction or overtly complex sentences. The purpose of writing in APA is to clearly and succinctly report one’s findings or research in as simple a manner as possible.
Expression
In APA, as with most other writing styles, the writer should be careful as to use of voice. Generally, active voice is preferred and is needed when describing experimental results: “When the subject is acting, the verb is in the active voice; when the subject is being acted upon, the verb is in the passive voice” (Lunsford, 2010, p. 289). In general, APA style papers use past tense (it showed) or present perfect tense (it has shown). An exception to this is in the discussion of results or generally accepted information when the present tense (it shows) is used. Additionally, APA style emphasizes the importance of clarity and concision. 
Inclusivity
	APA formatting is specific on using inclusive and precise language, particularly regarding race, age, gender, sexual orientation, and ability. Because APA style demands objectivity, any political or personal bias is to be avoided unless doing so would obstruct clarity or meaning in the writing. APA recommends using labels and pronouns that participants prefer. For example, use a person’s identified pronoun if that information is available. When referring to individuals who do not specify their identified pronoun, use the singular “they” or “their” as a gender neutral pronoun. APA also recommends specific labels with regards to race, age, and ability. Instead of stating “individuals over the age of 50,” it is preferred to state the age range such as “individuals of the age range of 50 to 65 years old.” For race, refer to the specific region or country as in “Mexican American” instead of “Latin American.” For ability, use person-first language, as in “a person with epilepsy.” General rule of thumb is to use the most specific and accurate language when describing individuals or groups.
References
	The references page, which is at the end of the paper, always begins on a new page. Start by centering the word “References” at the top of the page and continue to double space on this page as well. This page will include all the information about the sources cited in the paper. Each reference entry will differ depending on the kinds of sources used for the paper, such as a book, periodical (journal article), edited collection, or electronic source. Consult the OWL Purdue Online Writing Lab “APA Style” section before writing the citation or the official APA style website.
	The first line of the citation should begin at the left margin, and all subsequent lines should be indented. This type of indentation is called “hanging” in many word processing programs. In Word, it can be found by clicking on the small arrow in the bottom right corner under the “Paragraph” section under the “Home” tab. In the pop-up window that appears, go to the “Indentation” section, go to “Special” and in the drop down menu for “Special,” select “Hanging.” Click “OK” to save the changes.
	Source entries are arranged in alphabetical order by the first letter of the first word of each entry (author’s last name, title of the electronic source, or organization name).  Do not use quotation marks for shorter works such as article titles; additionally, capitalization is only used for the first letter of the first word in the title of the source. Publication name (like journal name) and webpage article names are italicized.
	Some citations in the reference page for online sources might require a DOI or URL. When DOIs are available, APA formatting prefers them over URLs. If there is no DOI available, provide the URL. Copy the URL or DOI in its entirety from the browser; do not change any of the formatting. Include “https://” at the beginning of the DOI. Keep the URLs or DOIs as hyperlinks. Do not add a period after the DOI or URL, as this can impact the link.
Conclusion
	This sample paper was created to show APA documentation and formatting. In addition to the sources referenced throughout the paper, the American Psychological Association website, www.apastyle.apa.org should be consulted. Further questions about APA or specific assignment requirements should be directed to the instructor who is the first and last reference concerning the assignment.

References
APA heading and seriation. (2020). Purdue Online Writing Lab. Retrieved February 21, 2020 from https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/reference_list_electronic_sources.html
Bratek, E. (2012). Moving from cheating to academic dishonesty. Education Week. https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2012/10/17/08bratek.h32.html
Clark, K. (2008). Professors use technology to fight student cheating. U.S. News & World Report, 145(8), 74-78. http://www.usnews.com/education/articles/2008/10/03/professors-use-technology-to-fight-student-cheating?page=3
Green, K., & Lawlor, A. (2014). Read, write, connect: A guide to college reading and writing. Bedford/St. Martin’s.
Headings. (2020). APA Style. Retrieved February 24, 2020 from https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/paper-format/headings
Lunsford, A. (2010). The everyday writer (4th edition). Bedford/St. Martin’s.
Paper format. (2020). APA Style. Retrieved February 21, 2020 from https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/paper-format
Seedat, M. & Lazarus, S. (2011). Community psychology in South Africa: Origins, developments, and manifestations. Journal of Community Psychology, 39(3), 241-257. https://doi:10.1002/jcop.20429